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Dublin: 10 °C Tuesday 21 May, 2013

Westwood splits with long-term coach after Kiawah Island frustration

“He’d lost his focus and his enthusiasm a bit because he wasn’t getting the rewards for his long game,” said Chubby Chandler of Westwood.

Lee Westwood in action during the US PGA championship.
Lee Westwood in action during the US PGA championship.
Image: PA images

LEE WESTWOOD HAS parted ways with long-time coach Pete Cowen after missing the cut at the PGA Championship.

Englishman Westwood has now gone 59 majors without a win after looking out of sorts at the Kiawah Island Ocean Course over the weekend. Westwood and Cowen had been working together for six years.

“Lee admits he needed to shake things up,” said Westwood’s manager, Andrew Chandler. ”He’d lost his focus and his enthusiasm a bit because he wasn’t getting the rewards for his long game.

“Parting company with Pete is because he’s passing on advice to Lee, but he’s not around to follow it through. Lee is very structured about going to the gym, but not about practising. Pete was here for two days with Graeme McDowell this week when Lee wanted to work with him, so it just wasn’t working out.

“Lee’s the sort who needs someone standing over him, making him hit chip after chip and telling him what he’s doing wrong. It does start to get you down when you keep walking off feeling disappointed and frustrated, so we’re going to put a few things in place — including a new short-game coach. I won’t say who it is, but it will become public next week.”

The 39-year-old Westwood has also parted company with Mike Waite, his caddy since late May, and teamed-up up with Mike Kerr, who has previously worked for Alvaro Quiros.

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